A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries

Hotel 8

The Andaman, Langkawi

The Andaman has a relatively isolated and
naturally constrained location, having been built into a steep
hillside setting at Datai Bay. Arrival is on Level 4, after
descending part of the hill on a windy road, while access to the
private beach is from Level 1. The grounds have literally been
hacked out of the rainforest.

This is a popular and upscale beach resort with a
particularly impressive lobby area. Being large and busy, however,
it didn't manage to achieve the exclusive feel provided by
The Fortress in Koggala, and I did
wonder whether the Luxury Collection tag was entirely appropriate.
Status recognition in the Starwood Preferred Guest programme seemed
to work well, but parts of the package that I had booked were
inexplicably not provided until chased up.

Despite this and a few housekeeping glitches, this
was an enjoyable stay at a comfortable and impressive property -
albeit one that wasn't quite what I expected it to be, based on
previous Luxury Collection experiences.

Room 428

General views

Temporary room 423

Having been given a generous late checkout time on
my final day, I was asked to vacate 428 at the standard checkout
time and move to 423 for the remaining part of my stay, in order to
accommodate an incoming guest. The new room was similar my old one,
but had twin beds and was accessible to disabled people.